The next few days unfolded as follows: we would leave the hotel and go around, either asking citizens questions directly or searching for anyone discussing a certain merchant's arrival around the same time that Praxis went missing.
Now sitting on a bench in front of a fountain, which, when I turned to look at it, was emitting water from statues of actors wearing Commedia Dell'arte masks. The statues were clearly depictions of Thien, a patron god of Silversun.
The rest of the fountain was made of marble and stone, much like all of the religious makings of the city. In front of Eveleen and me was a church, likely dedicated to Thien, the god of mischief, trickery, and creativity.
"Haaa, it's been five days and still nothing!" I sighed, talking while chewing on the cigarette in my mouth and leaning on the bench while looking at the sky.
"I'm sure something will come up eventually; we just need to be patient and keep looking," Eveleen assured from beside me, carefully weaving the flowers she bought into a flower crown.
"Mmmm, well, hopefully soon something will. I am getting tired of just sitting around and asking questions," I groaned, leaning forward, taking my cigarette from my mouth, and massaging my temples.
"Well, whatever we do learn, let's hope that it's something that will give us a strong lead!" She encouraged, putting her finished flower crown on my head.
"Hm, what's this?" I questioned, looking up at the red and orange flowers now on my head. They gave off a strange sensation.
"Relax, it's not like I'm trying to play dress up. It is a gift, think of it as a protection charm!" Eveleen smiled, clearly holding back a chuckle.
"Ahuh," I groaned, glaring slightly, then putting my cigarette back into my mouth, mumbling, "Thanks, I guess."
"Hehe, no problem," She laughed back, clearly making fun of me.
I leaned back again into the bench, staring at the church in front of us. I then went back to my memories of events in the novel, thinking of things that involved the Thien administration, or at least the Church of Thien.
I couldn't exactly remember anything of significance, other than that he was one of the main Patron gods of the Silversun Kingdom, and festivals were dedicated to him and were often celebrated by artists wishing for more creativity instead of sabotage from his trickery side.
Thien was described as being like both Loki from Norse mythology and Hekate from Greek mythology, a guide but also a foul trickster. He guided those seeking creativity in acts of humor, like playwrights. Still, he wished misfortune upon those unfortunate enough to catch his attention, choosing whoever was least devout so that he was careful enough not to lose followers and destroy his own divine throne.
Opening my eyes, the church bell rang, announcing the end of the service. Then people came bustling out, chatting like it was any other day. Most of them wore clothes decorated with masks; others wore actual masks or adorned themselves with feather accessories, typically seagull feathers.
Masks were a sort of symbol of thien, symbolizing his two-faced nature. And seagulls were also chosen as a symbol of him, due to their scavenger activities and seemingly natural chaotic behavior.
"Oh, looks like the Viscount attended today's service," Eveleen commented, noticing him in the middle of the crowd, and pointing to him, "Look, he is talking to that tall man with curly blonde hair."
"Where?... Huh, there he is-" I started to say, then stopped when I saw the face of the curly blonde-haired man.
'Oh, that mother fucking merchant! What the hell is he doing here?!'
My face shifted in annoyance as I stared at the man, suspicious of why he would be coming out of a church, and with the Viscount, I suspected that he was an alibi for the kidnapping of Praxis.
"Sir, do you know the man next to him?" Eveleen asked, turning towards me with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes, I have met him before at an underground market. He sold me a weapon," I admitted, keeping a hushed tone.
"Hehe, well then, there is one lead that he is definitely doing some shady business," Eveleen nodded, then stood me up and started dragging me towards them.
"W-What are you doing?!" I exclaimed, alarmed, and tried to pull my arm back.
"If we want to get a head start, then it's better to approach them first, rather than get hunted down by them for sticking our nose where it doesn't belong," Eveleen gave a bright smile, taking her hood off and revealing her beautiful features, then taking off mine.
"Wait, what are you taking my hood off for?" I asked, alarmed, finally getting her to stop dragging me, "And are you sure this is the right move to make?"
"Of course! I may be extremely beautiful, but you also have an otherworldly handsomeness, you know? And rumor has it that Viscount Zisel, the one governing the city, is a bastard for handsome and beautiful people, making it easy for us to get the information we are looking for!"
I blushed for a second, mostly from embarrassment, but also because I've never had anybody say anything to me so earnestly. Though I quickly dismissed those thoughts, especially since I knew that compliment wasn't directed to Saito, but rather to Lev.
"Thanks…Though that's only because of the disguise you created for me, we practically look like siblings, so it's only natural my handsomeness would have to match," I rubbed my neck, looking away from her.
"Even without the disguise, it is still true. Besides, the only thing I did was change your hair color and hide your ear shape; your face is still the same, and that is what really matters," Eveleen smiled gently, taking my hand in hers.
"Haaa, if you say so," I sighed, frowning, then dismissing my emotion from my face and matching her smile.
"Hehehe! Alright then!" She exclaimed before linking herself to my arm and walking us forward, "Now then, what should I refer to you as?"
"Mmmm, how about Kallisto? I think that fits, right? And, it fits with your name," I nodded, smiling to myself while reciprocating her actions of linking arms.
"Perfect! Then we shall be Eveleen and Kallisto! Two siblings traveling together to see the world after our parents passed, how does that sound?" Eveleen sang, seeming to come up with the story on the spot.
"Works for me," I shrugged, then picked up the face and kept a fake smile on my face, "Well, shall we go greet Mr. Shady now?"
"Indeed, we shall, hehehe!" She laughed again, matching my pace as we walked with confidence through the crowd and up to Viscount Zisel and his blonde-haired companion.
It was quite easy to make our way through the crowd; after all, everyone stopped to gawk at us as we walked by.
Eventually, we stopped in front of the viscount and his merchant friend, then took each other's hands, and Eveleen curtseyed while I bowed.
"Good afternoon, Viscount. Please pardon our interruption on this fine afternoon, but my brother and I were hoping to exchange a few words with you!" Eveleen smiled genuinely as if it came naturally, but I would feel by the squeeze of her hand that she was holding back.
"Oh! Yes, good afternoon, Miss and Mister. It would be a pleasure to chat with two stunning individuals," The viscount said back, rubbing his hands together.
Standing straight again, I could finally get a proper look at the bastard man. The Viscount had short brown hair and the same brown eyes, making him look even more generic with his chubby appearance. He wore a suit made of luxurious fabrics lined with fur, suiting the fall weather. And wore odnociously huge rings to show off his wealth even further, making it quite obvious that he'd be the anime thug that tries to scam the main character.
'He should be lucky that he never met Atlas in the original novel, otherwise he'd be treated like a villain from Batman.'
"Thank you very much for this generous opportunity, Viscount," I smiled and bowed again, then looked over at the merchant next to him and gave a fake apologetic smile, "But do pardon me, I do not recognize this man next to you, do you mind if I ask for your name?"
"Ah, my apologies for not introducing myself sooner," The man smiled, taking off his fedora and giving a quick bow, "My name is Octavius Ayrmyne, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
'Aha, so it really is the sly bastard!... I really do wonder why he is here, though, and especially talking to the viscount.'
"Octavius Arymyne…Hm, then I too must give my apologies, for I do not recognize your name from anywhere," Eveleen replied, not bothering to actually think about the man since she knew that I had met him before.
"Hahah, that is quite alright, I didn't expect you to. I am but a mere merchant hoping to discuss business with Viscount Corbett Zisel here," He expressed, putting his hat back on his head and nodding.
"I see, well, I feel terrible for interrupting both of you!" I exclaimed, keeping my laughter down and masking it with a fake look of guilt.
"Hahahaha, nonsense! I would always make time to listen to the worries of my city's residents!" Corbett laughed, leaning closer, rubbing his hands, and sniffing the air around Eveleen and me like a dog.
'Disgusting bastard. He's even worse than Oryn…Mmm, then I suppose Viscount ZIsel would be more of a pig than a dog.'
"Thank you for your generosity!" Eveleen added, shifting uncomfortably for a moment, "We just had a question we would like to ask you, if you don't mind."
"Of course! What woes plague you two on a day as nice as this?" Corbett inquired, eyeing the two of us like we were candy.
"Well…" I started, putting on the most sorrowful expression I could muster, "Recently, a friend of ours has gone missing. We have spoken to the authorities and the knight about this, but nothing has been done! So we were hoping we could ask you to look into it or at least tell the authorities to gather information and let us know!"
"Oh, how terrible!" Corbett exclaimed, clearly faking his care, "I would be more than happy to help. I'll tell the authorities you spoke to to get started on the case right away! And I will definitely contact you with the information when I find something out."
He was definitely using this as an excuse to invite us into his home to do something uninvited, but who said we weren't doing the same?
"How kind of you, Viscount!" Octavius commented, buttering Corbett to get him to agree to whatever he was plotting, "It is such a wonderful thing to have such a reliable lord as you!"
"Please, you jest! I am just doing my job as the lord of this humble city, hahaha!" Corbett laughed, his round belly moving up and down along with it.
"Hehe, yes, we are all quite fortunate!" Eveleen chuckled along, then stopped to turn her head towards the clock tower peeking out from the buildings, "Ah! Look at the time, Kallisto! Please excuse us, but we have to get going!"
"You are quite alright! Thank you for letting me know about this missing persons case. And do remember, for any more worries or inquiries, you are free to stop by the estate anytime!" Corbett smiled smugly, rubbing his hands together and leaning forward ever so slightly.
"Oh, thank you for listening to us and helping us! And we will make sure to keep that in mind. Now we really do have to go, so good bye gentlemen," I bowed and quickly turned and left with Eveleen.
"Well, that was definitely a win," Eveleen announced, smiling mischievously as we walked away.
"A win indeed…though that guy was really creepy!" I added, making Eveleen nod and sigh in agreement.
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Tip!: You can go to the end of chapter 20 if you do not remember Octavius' full appearance.